Portable excavator



Feb. 21, 1950 F. wHlTE; ET AL 2,498,321

PORTABLE EXCAVATOR Filed July 24, 1946 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 ""L l l] @N N Q N INVENTORS: FRED L .VVHITE By EARL LBEIGHER ATTORNEY.

Feb- 21, 1950 F. L. WHITE ET AL 2,498,321

PORTABLE ExcAvAToR Filed July 24, y11.946 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 l l r- ATTORNEY,

rnize the eiect of and to prevent the lowering and hoisting of the boom changing the tension in the crowd cable 28. Cable 28 is then passed over a sheave 3| rotatable in a bracket 32 secured to the boom in order to prevent cable wear on the boom' The cable 28 is then led around sheave 33 rotatably mounted on shaft 34 arranged in saddle block 44, is then led around sheave 35 rotatably supported on the free end of handle |3 and is then anchored to the saddle block 44 at 36.

When the dipper |4 is dropped by gravitational action considerable slack may develop in the crowd cable 28 and because this may produce difficulty itis necessary that the cable be wound up as fast as the dipper and handle assembly is dropped. To achieve this result means must be provided to reversely operate the drum 8.

in a direction opposite to cable 28 such that the one will be wound while the other is unwound. The cable is then led around sheave 38 rotatably mounted on shaft 30, is then led overl a sheave coaxially disposed with respect to sheave 3| and rotatably mounted on the shaft in bracket 32, is then led around a sheave 40 rotatably on shaft 34, is then led around sheave 4| rotatably mounted in handle I3 at a point adjacent the dipper |4 and is then anchored to the saddle block 44 at 42.

It is evident therefore the tension in cables 28 and 31 is substantially constant and that no slack will gather in the crowd cable 28 or in cable 31.

That which is regarded'new, novel and useful and which is sought to be protected by Letters Patent of the United States is as follows:

1. A portable excavator comprising means to hoist and retract a dipper and handle assembly;

means to crowd the dipper and handle assembly;

and means associated with said last mentioned means to reversely operate said last mentioned means when the dipper and handle assembly is lowered by gravitational action.

2. A-portable excavator comprisingmeans to hoist and retract a dipper and handlerassembly; means including a cable to crowd the dipper and handle assembly; and means associated with said last mentioned means to maintain said cable taut when the dipper and handle assembly is lowered by gravitational action.

3. A portable excavator comprising a tiltable boom; a dipper and handle assembly-operatively associated with said boom; a double winding drum; a cable wound on one of said drums and operatively associated with said dipper and one end of said handle to hoist andretract said dipper; a cable wound on the other of said drums and operatively associated with the other end of said handle to crowd said dipper; and another cable wound onsaid last mentioned drum and operatively associated with said handle to maintain" said crowd cable tensioned when said dipper and handle assembly is permitted to drop.

4. A portable excavator comprising a dipper and handle assembly operativelyv associated with a tiltable boom; a winding drum; a cable connected to and windable on said drum and operatively associated with the handle of said as- A cable 31 is secured to drum 8 and wound thereon ably mounted; a winding drum; a cable wound on said drum and operatively associated with the free end of said handle and anchored to said saddle block to crowd the dipper; and a cable wound on said drum in a direction opposite to said crowd cable and operatively associated with the opposite end of said handle and anchored to said saddle block to wind said crowd cable on said drum when said assembly is moved by gravitational action relative to said boom.

6. A portable excavator comprising a dipper and handle assembly movable relative to a boom; means to crowd said dipper;l and means associated with said last mentioned means to reverse- 1y actuate said means when said assembly is moved lby gravitational action relative to the boom.

'1. A portable excavator comprising a dipper and handle assembly movable relative to a boom; a saddle block in which said assembly is received for movement relative to the boom; a winding drum; a cable wound on said drum and anchored to said saddle block and operative on the free end of said handle to crowd the dipper; and another cable wound on said drum in a direction opposite said crowd cable and anchored to said saddle block and operative on the other end of said handle to reversely operate said drum to thereby wind said crowd cable when said assembly moves relative to said saddle block by gravitational action.

8. A portable excavator comprising a tiltable boom; a dipper and handle assembly; means on said boom in which said assembly is slidably received; a first winding drum; a cable wound on said drum and connected to the handle and operatively associated with the'dipper to hoist and retract the dipper; a second winding drum; a cable wound on said second drum and anchored to said means and operatively associated with one end of said handle to crowd the dipper; another cable wound on said second drum in a direction opposite that of said crowd cable to reversely rotate said second drum to wind said crowd cable thereon when said assembly moves relative to said means; and a plurality of sheaves rotatably supported near the base of said boom over which the cables on said second drum pass to keep tension y therein constant when said boom is tilted.

9. In a portable excavator comprising a, clipper and handle assembly; a winding drum; a crowd cable windable on said drum and operative on one end of the handle to crowd said assembly; and another cable on said drum and operatively associated with the other end of the handle, said cables remaining under substantially constant tension regardless of the direction of axial movement of the handle of said assembly.

10. In a portable excavator comprising a dipper and handle assembly; a saddle block in which the handle of said assembly is received; a wind-drum; a crowd cable windable on said drmn and anchored to said saddle block and operatively associated with one end of the handle to crowd the dipper of said assembly; and another cable windable on said drum and anchored to said saddle block and operatively associated with the other end of the handle; said cables operating on said drum so that one is unwound while the other is wound to thereby keep tension substantially constant in both cables when the handleis reversely moved in said saddle block.

1 1.In a portable excavator, a tiltable boom; a dipper and handle assembly operatively associated with said boom and adapted for hoisting, retracting and crowding operations by power operation or gravitational action; means to perform any two of the preceding operations simultaneously; means including a cable to perform the remaining operation individually in one direction by power and reversely by gravitational action; and means to maintain the cable taut when the last mentioned operation is being reversely performed.

FRED L. WHITE.

EARL I. BEICHER.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the le of this patent:

Number 6 UNITED STATES PATN'T Name Date Ferris et al June 5, 1923 Burke Mar. 10, 1925 Dorward Apr. 7, 1925 Burke May 5, 1925 Hoar Dec. 8, 1925 Rauch Oct, 29, 1929 George Dec. 20, 1932 Baker Apr. 21, 1936 White May 20, 1947 

